The common wisdom is that the Ontario election campaign really starts today and that up until now, Ontarians simply tuned out the past couple of months of posturing, positioning and gabbing and enjoyed a sun-filled summer.
The Liberal Party decided to hold off on the release of its platform until this afternoon. The sieve at Ontario Liberal Party headquarters didn't take the weekend off, leaking bits and pieces of the platform to get as much attention as possible in advance of the formal release. Other bits of the 45 items were announced over the last weeks and are now part of the final document.
Premier Dalton McGuinty looked relax and confident as he led the platform launch event. Yes, he trotted out the line that this is a "serious plan for serious times" and said Ontario needs the steady hand of experience.
McGuinty had a big ticket item designed to attract voters and headlines.
He promised that the Liberals will cut tuition for middle class and poor families. Qualifying students would save as much as $1,600 on university tuition and $730 for colleges. And another promise – 60,000 new post secondary spaces.
If the PCs and NDP are focused on a "changebook" and "affordable change" the Liberals are all about moving "Forward Together." That's the title given to the platform.
The PC platform asks "what happened? Ontario families once had a straightforward path to get ahead" and goes on to list the many ways the PCs will change Ontario, for example promising "to put more money in your pocket."
And remember, the NDP is promising "change that puts people first."
For the Liberals, everything is a challenge. And for every challenge, the Liberal Party is reminding voters of its track record. Some might say it's presented as a selective track record, for what has been accomplished and for the way forward. While the opposition promises to change the direction the Liberals say they want to stay the course and invest in the future.
All of the promises made by all of the parties need to be paid for. Currently the Ontario government is running a large deficit but you wouldn't know it listening to all the promises from all the parties.
Will voters ask, "How will you pay for it?" We all know that examples like tax cuts (Progressive Conservative), lower tuition (Liberal), cutting hospital wait times (NDP) comes with a price tag. There's not enough money for what is being spent now.
Today's Liberal platform waits till page 53 before addressing the "challenge to move forward with our balanced budget plan."
In those last four pages we learn that the public service will be "reformed," including staff cuts and savings of $200 million in other cuts. McGuinty assured reporters today that his plan was vetted by an economist and can be paid for. But alas the last four pages hardly deals with how the first 53 pages of challenges will be paid for.
The Liberals did release a 12-page document filled with its facts, figures and rhetoric on the "Platform Costing." It assumes a growing economy will lead to higher government revenues and promises of $750 million in "ongoing savings from Public Accounts." The costing also assumes the Liberals will continue those savings of $750 million each and every year right through to 2015/16.
As we will report in the coming days, voters in Ontario are concerned about the issues. We'll have the results of our CP24/CTV/Globe and Mail poll starting this evening at 6 p.m. Then tomorrow night on LeDrew Live, Stephen will talk to Premier Dalton McGuinty on the eve of the formal launch of the campaign.
